The way to Gondor (Aragorn and Legolas fanfic)

Éomer Éomundson

Legolas POV

We had been hunting the Uruk-Hai that captured Merry and Pippin for three days now, with just a few hours of sleep each night and no rest at all at day. Aragorn was our leader, constantly finding hints of where the orcs had made their way, which was sometimes easy, sometimes not, and Gimli and me followed him without objection. With my elf-eyes I could see a big black cloud of dust where the orcs were, but just on sunny days, and every once in a while, Aragorn would ask me what I saw. 

Then, suddenly, I saw no orcs anymore, but something else.

"Riders!", I exclaimed. "Hundred and fifty of them, and all of them with long golden hair and spears in their hands."

Aragorn turned towards me with a grin.

"Sharp are the eyes of elves", he smirked, then sat down on the ground.

"What are you doing, Aragorn?", Gimli shouted surprised. "If we want to live until dusk tonight we better get running now laddie!"

"Don't worry, my dear Gimli", Aragorn answered calmly. "We cannot escape these riders even if we wanted to. But believe me, the riders of Rohan have always welcomed travellers with great courtesy and if Saruman's treachery hasn't stretched as wide as to the Rohirrim, they will surely give us the information we need, as to where our friends might be."

Gimli frowned, but because Aragorn wouldn't move a bit, he grumpily sat down too. I squinted towards the riders, who were closing up quickly, then let myself sit down beside the former ranger. I watched his profile, as he studied the lands of Rohan in front of us, and looked away a bit too late when he noticed my glance at him. However, he smiled and twirled a strand of my hair with his fingers. This tiny act of affection was enough to warm my stomach, and too soon he let go again, to shadow his eyes with his hand. 

---

At first, the Rohirrim didn't see us, because we wore elven cloaks, that the high Lady of Lórien had gifted us with, but Aragorn called out to them and revealed our existence. In one single movement, or so it seemed, the riders came to a halt, turned around, and enclosed us in a tight circle. The leader rode a few extra steps towards us and demanded:

"Who are you and why are you crossing the lands of king Théoden in these times of war? Long ago it was that I have seen a man travelling alone with an elf and a dwarf, which for itself is a strange occurence. Tell me your names, strangers!"

At these words, Gimli drew his axe and shouted:

"Tell me your name first, horse master, and then I will tell you mine!"

Again it felt like a wave of motion, rather than several ones, when suddenly all spears were pointed towards us. Aragorn frowned and glared at the dwarf. 

"Think before you speak the next time!", he hissed in named one's ear. Then he turned to the leader again.

"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and with me travel Gimli, son of Gloin, and Legolas", he hesitated, "from the Woodland Realm. (needed to make the reference here haha) We have been on a hunt for three days, following a pack of orcs, that have captured two friends of ours. You might have seen them, because you came from the direction they were heading."

"Then I shall give you my name. I am Éomer, son of Éomund, and I am Third Marshall of the Mark under the reign of King Théoden. As a matter of fact, these rocs you seek, we have encountered in battle yesterday and I dare say so, none of them left the battlefield alive. But of these friends you are speaking, we have seen no one."

"They are hobbits and would look like children to you", Aragorn replied.

"Hobbits?", Éomer said questioningly. "Aren't these the halflings we are told of in ancient stories? Have creatures we only know in myths suddenly arisen and run around in our land? However, there were no hobbits, or children, or any other species with the Uruk-Hai. But we will lend you horses, so you can look for yourself, and then you must follow me and meet me in Edoras, which is the king's order for all strangers in these uncertain times."

Aragorn bowed. Two great horses were led up to us, prancing restlessly. The first one, a brown stud called Brego (I'm going for the movie horses) was given to the man, the second one to me. It was called Arod, which means noble in my language, and it was indeed very noble. 

Once more the riders of Rohan brought themselves into a striktly arranged formation in one single movement and by the signal of Éomer, set off into the wide fields that were Rohan. I swung myself onto the back of Arod, which had no saddle, exactly as I liked it, and Aragorn sat up on Brego. Gimli was giving me a sour look.

"And what about me, laddies. You're just gonna leave me here are you or shall I run beside you?"

I laughed brightly and pulled him on the horse behind me. 

"Hold on, Gimli Glóinsson, or you will fall down with your back first!"

Aragorn chuckled. Gimli muttered something under his breath, that sounded like: A dwarf on a horse, no, I've never heard of such a thing, why? I clapped spurs to my horse and off we went in the direction of our lost friends.

Hi guys, just to let you know, there will be a christmas special over on my one-shots tomorrow. Don't miss it, I'll see you there!